Drew McIntyre Slams CM Punk’s WWE Return: “He’s Not a Professional Wrestler”
In a sport constructed on bravado and large-than-lifestyles personalities, few rivalries have captured the attention of the WWE Universe quite like the heated tension between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk. What started out as a easy confrontation has now escalated into one of the most personal and severe feuds in latest wrestling records, as these two former WWE Champions hold to alternate verbal and physical blows both outside and inside the hoop.
The animosity among McIntyre and Punk has simmered for seven months, despite their confined in-ring encounters. Their most effective reputable match in the course of this period passed off at WWE SummerSlam in Cleveland, in which McIntyre emerged triumphant over Punk, thanks in no small element to the arguable officiating by Seth Rollins. The end result only brought gas to the hearth, leaving each men with unresolved scores to settle.
Their rivalry took some other sharp flip in the course of the Fanatics Fest event in New York City, where both superstars appeared as visitors. When Punk was requested to praise McIntyre, he could not face up to taking a jab, joking that McIntyre turned into only the fourth-nice wrestler to ever don a kilt—at the back of Roddy Piper and the 2000s-era WWE tag group, The Highlanders.
But McIntyre, regarded for his fiery Scottish temperament, failed to take the insult lying down. Appearing on “The Masked Man Show” throughout the identical event, he unloaded on Punk with a tirade that left enthusiasts buzzing. McIntyre didn’t mince words as he tore into Punk, thinking his credentials as a expert wrestler.
“I always tell the truth, and I’m not a hypocrite, unlike Punk,” McIntyre began, with a tone that left no room for doubt about his feelings. “His answer was just lazy. ‘He’s the fourth best behind the Highlanders.’ That’s not true, it’s just lazy. One nice thing about Punk? He sells a lot of t-shirts. That’s true. He’s great for merchandising. He’s a big name.”
The most damning part of McIntyre’s criticism came when he accused Punk of “masquerading” as a professional wrestler. McIntyre pointed out that while Punk took a nine-year hiatus from wrestling, others like himself remained dedicated to their craft, grinding week in and week out.
“The thing that drives me most crazy is that he goes around masquerading, calling himself a professional wrestler. That actually pisses me off, to be honest. Invokes names like Harley Race, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat. Punk took nine years off. He sat on his ass and did nothing while guys like myself and the rest of the WWE roster worked their asses off 52 weeks a year. He quit the company and went and sat on his ass.”
McIntyre’s resentment stems not only from Punk’s absence but also from the way he returned to WWE, capitalizing on his past fame and the nostalgia of fans rather than proving his mettle in the ring.
“I got fired. I got told, ‘Hey, you’re not good enough right now. Bugger off.’ My response wasn’t to sit on my couch. I’m going to keep wrestling and work harder than anybody in the world, reinvent myself, come back, and reach the top of the WWE mountain and prove I’m the best in the world. That’s what I’ve done. I’m a pro wrestler day in and day out.”
For McIntyre, there’s a clear distinction between being an “attraction” and being a “professional wrestler,” and in his eyes, Punk falls squarely into the former category.
“He went away. He’s been living on the pipe bomb, living on the feud with Cena. He’s smart and maximized it and became a big star. Nostalgia is a hell of a thing. He’s been gone for all this time. This legend has been created. He’s no longer a professional wrestler. He’s an attraction.”
While McIntyre grudgingly admits the value of being an attraction in the wrestling world, he remains adamant that Punk should not call himself a professional wrestler—a title that McIntyre believes should be reserved for those who have put in the work day in and day out.
“There is nothing wrong with being an attraction; we need attractions. But don’t fucking say you’re a professional wrestler if you’re not a professional wrestler. I’m a professional wrestler.”
As the tension between the two escalates, the WWE Universe is bracing for what’s next. Last week’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw saw another explosive confrontation between McIntyre and Punk, with Punk getting the upper hand by whipping McIntyre with a belt. This altercation has set the stage for an intense Strap Match at the upcoming Bash in Berlin PLE on August 31.
In the period in-between, all eyes are on the imminent episode of Raw from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, wherein CM Punk is anticipated to deliver a message to McIntyre. Given the fiery exchanges to date, lovers can best anticipate what Punk might have up his sleeve—and how McIntyre will respond.
